Politics & Government

Charlie Sheen thinks he and Ted Cruz could beat Donald Trump in 2020, apparently

By Greg Hadley

ghadley@mcclatchy.com

December 30, 2016 07:03 PM

American actor Charlie Sheen has claimed on Twitter that he will run for president in 2020. It is not clear if the tweet is a joke. JEFF CHRISTENSEN ASSOCIATED PRESS

If you thought the 2016 presidential campaign was weird, prepare for an even weirder 2020.

Not only will controversial President-elect Donald Trump presumably be running for another term, he could be squaring off against a man with presidential experience of his own, albeit fictional: Charlie Sheen.

In a tweet sent out Friday, the actor asked Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz to join him as his running mate in what would almost certainly be the most long shot bid for the White House in political history.

“C’mon @tedcruz, in 4 years we can unseat this guy!!” Sheen wrote. “You bring the AWESOME, I'll bring the WINNING!!”

December 30, 2016
">

Sheen also shared a hashtag, #SheenCruz2020.

Sheen played the U.S. president in “Machete Kills,” a 2013 film, but he has stoked controversy in the past and recently with some of his political comments.

Just Wednesday, Sheen sent out a tweet that read in part, “Dear God; Trump next, please!” seemingly referring to the series of high-profile celebrity deaths that have taken place in the past year.

Sheen has also voiced support for the “9/11 Truth Movement,” a group of conspiracy theorists who believe the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were orchestrated by the U.S. government.

As of Friday evening, Cruz has not responded to Sheen’s proposal, but if his response to Sheen’s tweet Wednesday is any indication, he’s unlikely to accept.

December 29, 2016
">

Cruz’s relationship with Trump has been rocky at times. After a bitter primary campaign in which Trump retweeted a message that seemed to insult Cruz’s wife’s looks and accused Cruz’s father of being involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Cruz refused to endorse or support Trump through the Republican National Convention. Cruz’s stance drew criticism from many conservatives, and he eventually announced that he would support Trump.

But despite the unpredictability of the 2016 presidential race, a Cruz-Sheen alliance still appears to be all but impossible.